


Dreams of the Dead

by asuprem



Category: Paramartham
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22645285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asuprem/pseuds/asuprem
Summary: What will the local Witches do to protect their friends and family when a supernatural terror hits a small village in Iran?
Kudos: 3





	1. A Touch of Madness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Farsi words are present in the text.
> 
> Anjoman - Village council in rural Iran  
> Auntijaan - A friend's grandmother  
> Bachhi - An informal and loving way to say son or daughter in Indo-Arabic languages  
> Dabestan - Elementary school in Iran  
> Malak - Angel in Arabic  
> Mamajaan - Grandmother  
> Moti - Large, but usually used by parents to tease kids about growing  
> Motovasseteh - Middle school in Iran (also upper elementary school for 5th and 6th graders)  
> Shaitan - Arabic/Hindi word for Satan or demon.

"Miriam, get back here!"

Miriam heard the shrill admonishment from Miss Zabel but ignored it. Most days, that would mean putting off Miss Zabel's scolding (a harsh word or two and a social call to her parents) and punishments (a light rap on her hands with the trusty class ruler) for the next day when school started again. Fortunately for her, this was the last day of classes before Summer. Even better - she was now done with Miss Zabel, who only taught nine and ten year olds. It wasn't that Miriam hated Miss Zabel; on the contrary, she was a new teacher and so, not as harsh as some of the others like ancient Madam Soraya (or as her students called her, Madam Shaitana) who had a penchant for doling out punishments for the mildest of errors like putting the wrong date on paper or making a face at her back. No, Miss Zabel was very nice indeed, considering the competition, and very fair. She was just so boring.

Miriam was still thinking about Miss Zabel when she stepped out of her little school, but the vista in front of her quickly pulled all thoughts of school from her mind. The village _dabestan_ had been built at the top of a hill back when the village was a garrison of the Shahs of the past and the school was a barracks. From her vantage point, Miriam could see the entirety of Piranshahr valley before her, and in the distance, Piranshahr town. Scattered around the town lay the many villages that traced their ancestry to Xerxes and beyond. A light breeze played at her hair, drawn from the colder valley to the warmer mountains where her own village Mahakosh lay, just a ridge over from the school.

"Miriam!"

Miriam had been first out of the stuffy school, but the other children soon trampled out yelling and screaming at food, freedom, and fun of the Summer. She heard a familiar scream from within the mass of other children and searched for owner - a laughing, thin-faced girl the world called Leila and Miriam called her best friend.

"Miriam!" Leila called again, separating herself from the crowd of twenty children and waving her over. Miriam ran over and grabbed her hand twirling her. "What took you so long?" she asked, laughing with exhilaration.

"Nissia and Loma," Leila said between gasps of laughter. "Loma lost her eraser and we were helping her look for it." Miriam felt a pang of sadness. Loma's parents had bought it a few months ago during a rare trip to the town. It was a beautiful little strawberry shaped eraser that smelled like the fruit itself whenever you used it; they all loved it and Loma was happy enough to share it with them without prodding. She felt better when Leila continued, "They found it so I ditched them."

They collapsed on the ground - springy with grass now after some long awaited rains a few months ago - and lay back, staring at the azure sky, the last traces of laughter still on their faces.

"Are you ready for Friday? Cricket is gonna be great!" Leila asked. Without waiting for Miriam, she continued, "Mama says Hindustan will win, but Papa wants Pakistan. Mama's usually right about these though. He's put a bet on Pakistan, I heard him telling Uncle Sharif yesterday, though Mama doesn't let him. But then again -"

"I can't," Miriam interrupted her. Leila looked accusingly back. "But we planned this, Miri. Loma and Nissia are coming too! And they are boring. They would rather play marbles but I want to watch cricket with you!"

"Sorry, Leila," Miriam said apologetically. She had decided not to tell Leila why, but one look at her friend's face convinced Miriam otherwise. "Papa said he's taking me to the _anjoman_ tomorrow night. Mama's coming too." Leila gawked at her.

"But -," Leila couldn't complete her thought. She remained openmouthed for a moment at the revelation. Miriam blushed.

Leila tried again. "But the council is only for the _Peri_." She said the last word in a whisper.

Miriam started to explain but they were interrupted by their erstwhile missing friends, Loma and Nissia. "There you are," Loma said in a huff. "Why'd you leave us?" She stood above them, arms crossed and tight-lipped. For a ten year old girl, Loma looked surprisingly like Miss Zabel and her other teachers when she was mad, Miriam thought. Nissia had no such disagreements, however and jumped over them. She sat cross-legged, waiting expectantly until Miriam and Leila also sat up. Loma joined them after a moment. "Well?" she asked accusingly.

Miriam shrugged and grinned. "Couldn't stand one more minute of Miss Zabel."

Loma snorted. "You mean you didn't want to be caught staring at her again." Miriam blushed. There was an element of truth there - Miss Zabel was a very pretty teacher, but Miriam wasn't sure what to feel about that. Seeing her consternation, Leila changed the subject. She whispered conspiratorially, "Uncle Sharif is taking Miri to _anjoman_ tomorrow."

It had the desired effect. Both Loma and Nissia stared at her. Miriam glared at Leila, who only blinked and raised her eyebrows, as if to say, _You should be thanking me_. True, Miriam was happy the conversation had shifted, but now she had to explain something she herself didn't understand.

Loma broke the silence first. "Wow."

Miriam blushed again. Then Nissia spoke. "You're going to meet the _Peri_." She also said the last word in a whisper.

"Well, we've all met them," Miriam said. It was true. Her grandma, Mamajaan Hawaa was one of the _Peri_ , and Auntijaan Roshana, Nissia's grandmother, was also a _Peri_. Mama had tried to explain them, but it was confusing.

"They are a piece of Allah's will," Mama had said.

"Like Malaks?" Miriam asked.

"Well, sort of." Mama had stopped. "Malaks live in heaven. _Peri_ live on Earth. Allah gave them magic so they could protect us from shaitans and ifrits."

Here all was forgotten as Miriam asked, "Wait, Mamajaan knows magic?"

"Not like that, _bachhi_. Mamajaan prays to protect us and the village. Her prayers are just a little bit more powerful than mine or yours."

"Oh." It was disappointing at first, but Miriam soon forgot the details. She only knew that Mamajaan was a _Peri_ , that she was a very good Mamajaan who told Miriam and her friends great stories and that she disappeared for hours every week in the village council at the building in the center of the village with some other Auntiejaans and Aunties from the village.

It was also true that the village council was only open to _Peri_ and very few non- _Peri_ adults who worked for them, like Miriam's father Sharif. She didn't know what Papa did, only that he called himself an Archivist, which was a big word, and he always had lots of old papers in different languages she couldn't read. Some of them looked similar, like Arabic, but most were unrecognizable.

"So, do you know why?" Leila asked her.

"Nope," Miriam said with a shrug, trying to act nonchalant. "I saw Mama and Papa talking with Mamajaan yesterday about _anjoman_ , and Papa told me later he's taking me and Mama."

The four friends considered this in silence. "Well, we can still have fun tonight," Leila said finally. "Mamajaan has already made sweets, so you can have some Miri." It was an acceptable compromise.

The school grounds still had a few children. A few of the larger boys and girls played football in the makeshift field. Miriam looked back one last time at the _dabestan_ ; next year, they would be heading to the _motovasseteh,_ which was another old Persian barracks built further up the mountain. She saw a few of the teachers coming out of the building, including Madam Shaitan, who stared disapprovingly at two older girls holding hands, and Miss Zabel, who whispered something to Madam Shaitan, making her smile. Then Miss Zabel turned and saw her staring (again) and waved. Miriam blushed and announced loudly, "Let's go. Food's waiting at Leila's!"

The four friends dusted the grass and dirt off their clothes and without waiting, began running down the low ridge towards the village. It was a well-accepted tradition in Mahakosh - the first child to cross an entryway got the first piece of food.

Leila, being the fastest of the four, reached her house first, but she couldn't very well be early to her own party. She loitered by the entrance until Nissia made it in. They waited for Miriam and Loma, who arrived last gasping out of breath. Leila's house was near the edge of the village with Miriam and Nissia's. Only Loma's house was closer to the village center. Miriam, Loma, and Nissia waited at the door for Leila to tell Uncle and Auntie, who came all smiles and ushered them in, giving each of them a plate of food. Miriam sighed with relief. All in all, it _was_ a good day.

\--

It was dark when Miriam took her leave from Leila. Uncle Mehdi and Auntie Hasina asked her to stay, and she refused the requisite three times before putting on her shoes. Loma and Nissia had already left some time earlier - Loma because her house was further away and it was getting dark and Nissia because Auntijaan Roshana had called for her.

Miriam hugged Leila one last time, yelled "see you tomorrow", and ran the sixty odd feet to her own house. She had been given the keys to the house earlier that year, to the envy of her friends, and slipped in. "Mama, Papa, I'm home," she yelled as she ran towards the little dinner room next to the kitchen. Miriam stopped. Mama, Papa, and Mamajaan were huddled around the table, whispering. They abruptly stopped and stared at her a moment before Mama broke the spell.

"Hi _bachhi_ , how was school?"

"Great! What were you talking about?" Her parents rarely whispered, so Miriam was curious.

"Oh nothing important, _bachhi_ ," Mama said, a little dismissively and rather quickly, Miriam thought. "Go take your bath. We'll eat soon."

"I ate at Leila's house," Miriam said, patting her stomach.

"No matter. Dinner means everyone must eat," Mama said, sternly. "You don't have to eat much, but eat something." Papa didn't add anything and Mamajaan looked at her nails. Papa was still dressed in work clothes, even though he usually left the _Peri_ building early in the afternoon, and Mamajaan had on her colorful scarf she wore everywhere outside. Mama had also been out recently, Miriam noticed.

Resolving to hear their whispers, she said, "Ok Mama. Be back soon," and ran off, making as much noise as possible. She then crept back towards the kitchen and craned her neck towards the dinner room.

"You sure she is gone," Papa whispered.

"Yeah. She's just mad she has to sit for dinner," Mama said, dismissively. Miriam grinned. "Go on Mama," Mama said to Mamajaan.

Miriam strained to hear Mamajaan's quieter voice. "It happened again today. The Hosseini over by the well."

"The father?" Mama asked.

"No, this time it was the mother. So it's not just men. And it's getting closer."

"Did the new translations help?" Papa asked.

"No, Sharif. I'll give you some other books to find. Maybe they can help. Regardless, _Peri_ and _Peritinn_ are fine. And after tomorrow, so will Miriam."

Miriam started at her name, her heart jumping. She felt a cold pit at her stomach. She missed a question from Mama, but heard Mamajaan's reply.

"For the others, we'll use our remaining _ilhi-hijr-sahar_."

Miriam didn't understand the last word, but she caught part of it - _hijr_ was something to do with stones. She heard Papa shift in his chair and decided this was enough. She still didn't know much, but apparently _anjoman_ tomorrow was going to be interesting. She crept back to her room just as Mama yelled, "I am not hearing any water Miri!"

"I'm going," Miriam yelled back as she began running the water. For some reason, her house never ran out of hot water even during droughts like last year. Maybe Mamajaan's prayers were actually stronger than hers, she wondered idly.

Dinner was quiet. Mamajaan, who usually had lots of stories and complaints about the other Auntijaans of the village, didn't say anything. Papa had cooked the food and Mama usually loved to gush about it, but even she was quiet. Papa only picked at his food.

Halfway through the non-dinner, Mama finally spoke up. "Miri, from now on, you only go to Leila and Nissia's house. Any further and one of us will take you. No arguments."

Miriam looked to Papa and Mamajaan for help, but they only nodded. Mamajaan's eyes were sunken. Miriam again felt the cold pit at her stomach and meekly assented. They dismissed her a few minutes later and Papa took her to bed, leaving Mama and Mamajaan to whisper again. She tried to hear them but Papa only picked her up and tickled her, exclaiming, "Oh little _moti_ has grown big!"

Miriam laughed at the touch and struggled to get free, but Papa's grip was strong. He took her to her room and laid her in the bed, tucking her in. "Is something wrong," Miriam asked Papa. She couldn't read his expression in the dark, but heard the worry in his voice as he replied, "No, nothing is wrong. Nothing for you to think about. Sleep tight, and may Allah visit you in your sleep."

"And yours," Miriam replied automatically, her eyes already closing drowsily. She could worry about these things tomorrow.

\--

"Bye, Mama," Miriam yelled back. Without waiting, she ran over to Leila's house. It was already early morning. Villages woke early, and Miriam did not want to waste any time before the _anjoman_ at home when she and Leila could do something more fun. Around her, Mahakosh was waking up to the cold morning. The sun had already risen above the mountains, but people liked their Fridays here and slept in until around mid-morning.

She knocked on Leila's door. No one answered. Miriam did not wonder if they had not awoken - Uncle Mehdi was habitually an early riser even on the day after Eid. She knocked again. This time she heard the bolts on the other side opening. Miriam could hardly wait as the door opened.

"Hi Uncle, I -," Miriam stopped. She did not see Uncle Mehdi in front of her.

Leila chewed on the ear, grinning with red teeth, her hair matted with some thick dark liquid that ran in slow rivulets down her face. Her clothes were clean, but for the occasional red splotches and pieces of soft matter that occasionally clung and occasionally fell down. She held a knife in her other hand, red blood dripping to her feet.

Miriam staggered back.

"Oh, hi Miri!" Leila exclaimed around the half-eaten ear. Miriam saw a dark hole on the right side of her head and a missing finger on her right hand. Then she fainted.


	2. WIP

WIP Chapter. Test chapter please ignore.


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